One might think,
and justifiably so, that the world does not need another recording
of these two popular Mozart piano concertos. Yet, when they
are performed and recorded as well as they are here, all criticism
is silenced. Credit for this is due not only to the superb
pianism of Jonathan Biss, who has really come into his own
of late, but also to the wonderful Orpheus Chamber Orchestra,
who are full partners in the enterprise.
I compared these
recordings with two of my favorites, the 1972 performance of
K. 467 by Stephen Kovacevich and Sir Colin Davis with the LSO
on Philips and the 2000 performance of K. 482 by Alfred Brendel
and Sir Charles Mackerras with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra
also on Philips. In both cases, Biss and Orpheus hold their
own against such formidable competition. In some respects,
especially the immediacy of the recorded sound, I prefer this
new one. In other instances I marginally lean towards one or
other of the older performances, but as a whole Biss/Orpheus
are a truly winning combination.
First of all, Biss’s tempos are really bracing where they
need to be. His overall timing in K.482, especially, is somewhat
shorter than Brendel’s without ever feeling breathless. It
could be argued that Brendel/Mackerras bring more depth in
their interpretation, but I did not really feel that was
the case. As I said, both approaches are valid. Where the
new recording really stands out, though, is in the delectable
woodwind solos by the Orpheus orchestra. The clarity and
warmth of the recording is an advantage here, but in both
concertos the winds play with real character and at the same
time such beauty of tone. This is particularly notable in
the clarinet parts in K. 482, where Mozart substituted the
usual oboes with clarinets. The winds are equally delightful
in K. 467. Both Bass and the orchestral soloists play with
a certain freedom that never goes over the top, but stays
within the boundaries of good, Classical taste. There are
certain advantages of having a conductor-less orchestra,
in that it results in a chamber music feeling that at times
is inhibited by too prominent a podium presence. Not that
I am intimating here anything negative in Davis’s and Mackerras’s
contributions in the recordings cited above. However, the
Mozart concertos lend themselves well to the give-and-take
of chamber musicians playing together, as Murray Perahia
and others also proved in their recordings of these works.
In K. 467, while I like Kovacevich/Davis and Biss/Orpheus
about equally in the outer movements, the latter really outshine
the former in the concerto’s famous
Andante. Biss
takes 6:34 for the movement and Kovacevich 7:41, but it is
not just the slightly faster tempo that makes the difference.
I always thought Kovacevich was about perfect here and avoided
any hint of sentimentality; however, Biss is that much lighter
in his touch, more Classical, and makes Kovacevich now seem
a bit heavy in comparison. In K. 482, again Biss is slightly
faster and lighter than Brendel, but it’s more a case of
the recorded sound being much more luminous and allowing
the listener to really appreciate the dialogue between the
piano and the orchestra, especially the woodwind parts, that
sets the two recordings apart.
On a technical note, Biss supplies his own cadenzas for both
concertos, except for the finale of K. 467 where he employs
a cadenza of Dinu Lipatti. Biss’s own cadenzas are stylish
and fit in well as does Lipatti’s. Biss also provides the
main booklet note. Like his pianism, his writing is very
refreshing. He describes the works very well and from a pianist’s
perspective. However, I should mention that the composition
year of both concertos is 1785, not 1786 as stated in the
booklet. Indeed, 1785 was a watershed year for Mozart piano
concertos, as the great D minor, K. 466 was also composed
in that year, one month before K. 467. It is curious that
there is not a word in the booklet about Jonathan Biss, but
there is a page devoted to the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
There is also a helpful listing of Orpheus’ members, something
I wish more CD booklets would contain. The orchestral players
and particularly the wind soloists deserve this kind of credit.
In sum, no matter how many recordings you may have of these
concertos, you should consider adding this to your collection.
I think you will find that Jonathan Biss and his colleagues
bring a fresh and individual approach to these great works.
Leslie Wright
see also review by Kevin Sutton
Jonathan Biss
(piano) 
